Saving a life
by Neko11
Summary: Through a fateful meeting with some weird old lady, the Strawhat crew is sent into the future - into the year of 2014. There they have to find the future version of their captain and help Luffy cope with a life too hard to bear alone. How will the Strawhats react if they find out future Luffy is being abused and on top of that, a girl? How do they deal with a much darker Luffy?
1. Hell's place

**Happy (late) birthday, Luffy :D And happy (late) child's day (at least in Japan as far as I know :3 ). Sorry Luffy, this story is kinda dark, but there's a happy ending. It came to my mind yesterday and I wanted to give it a try :) It's gonna have three to four chapters, we'll see.**

**Anyone who finds grammar mistakes can keep them :) **

**Characters: Strawhat crew**

**Rating: T **

**Warning: Cursing, violence**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece and don't make any profit with it. **

**YXYXYXYX**

**Saving a life**

**Chapter 1 – Hell's place**

"Luffy! Get your ass back here, NOW!" Nami shrieked, but Luffy continued to run towards the smell of meat. The whole crew was chasing him around the town, spent and only wanting get back to the ship and sleep, but Luffy wasn't anywhere near tired yet.

He was only stopping when he tripped and smashed into a stand in front of a shop. The others groaned and went to pick up their troublesome captain.

"Ooops!" Luffy scratched his head as the owner of the shop stepped out. "Sorry!"

The old woman blinked at the sudden mess and grumbled something under her breath. Nami stalked over and whacked Luffy upside the head.

"You idiot! How can you be so clumsy all the time?"

Sanji shook his head. "Honestly, Luffy, at least watch where you going! Now look at what you've done!"

"Damn, Luffy-bro, how can you always be so active?" Franky joined in. Zoro just grumbled something under his breath, not too happy about the situation either.

"Really, you're too reckless and irresponsible. We've been chasing you for quite some time now and I don't want to be the one to drag your sorry but out of trouble again!" Nami complained.

"Yeah, you're quite skilled at attracting bad people and getting into some crazy trouble." Usopp agreed, huffing from all the running.

"I'm really sorry, we didn't mean to-", Nami began politely, but the old woman just shook her hand.

"3000." She answered. Nami's eye twitched.

"What?" Chopper blinked.

"That makes 3000 beri." she repeated calmly. Nami growled.

"Uh-oh...," Luffy gulped.

"LUUUFFY! You stupid freak!" Nami screamed and gave him a bump on the head for wasting her precious money.

Robin only giggled at the scene. Really, this was nothing new. She found it quite amusing how her captain always managed to cause so much hassle but still laugh and smile like he didn't give a care in the world. Which he probably didn't.

Suddenly, the granny blinked. "Wait, aren't you the Strawhats? Your faces are all over the newspapers."

Usopp gulped. "Damn, this is bad! She recognized us!"

Franky watched the woman carefully, but she didn't seem scared of them. Quite the reverse. He didn't like how calm and self-assured she was.

"So, this is Monkey D. Luffy? Your captain?" She asked further and pointed at the boy who still sat in a pile of what used to be a stand.

Zoro was instantly alerted and gazed strongly at her. "So what if he is?"

She smiled again, but it was a cold smile that made them shudder. "So, you kick him around and scold him a lot, huh?"

"What?" Sanji cocked his head.

"Don't play dumb with me. I can see the way you treat him, you don't pay him any respect. He is your captain, but nevertheless you shout at him and hit him. Normally, you would be killed for such a crime."

"Luffy-san would never do that." Brook laughed, but no one found it funny. "Granny-san, who are you?"

"Me? Oh, just some old stupid woman. But I used to be the captain of a pirate ship." She introduced herself. The others gasped.

"Oooh, really? That's amazing, granny!" Luffy laughed.

Her expression darkened and everyone had to gulp at that. "That is, until my crew committed a heavy crime. They pulled a mutiny on me."

"Oh." Luffy only said. "That sucks."

"And what has that to do with us? Look, we're sorry about your stand and we are gonna pay for it, but don't dig into our business!" Zoro spoke up. This woman was beginning to get onto his nerves.

"I can see how much you value your captain."

"What are you talking about? My nakama are the best!" Luffy shot back, his smile vanished completely.

"Are you fucking with us? What would you know?! We are his crew!" Sanji growled. Woman or not, this granny had a few screws loose that Sanji would gladly offer to fix.

"Really? Are you really worth of being that man's comrades?" She asked in a challenging tone.

"Shut up!" Luffy growled.

Nami's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Why is that your business? We know what we're worth."

"Yeah! Who the hell do you think you are?" Franky asked, lifting his sunglasses to take a good look at that old woman. She only grinned devilish, showing her missing teeth. Her eyes glowed dangerously. Usopp and Chopper jumped back with a cry of surprise.

"Aah! Old hag!" Usopp shouted, throwing up his arms.

"Old hag?!" Chopper echoed, hiding behind Brook. "P-please protect me!"

"Of course, Chopper-san. Count on me!"

"You are lying. I will test you and send you into the future. Let's see if you are really that man's friends!" She laughed and rose her arms. Everyone was ready to attack, fists tight and swords in the hands, but everything happened so fast no one could react.

Suddenly, Luffy collapsed. His crew cried out for him, but found they were unable to move.

"What the heck? What kind of shit is that?" Zoro cursed.

"Don't worry, I just put him to sleep. He will stay with me while you're gone." The granny told them, laughing.

"G-gone?!" Usopp cried. "What are you doing to us?!"

"You'll see. You have one week to fix the mess, otherwise you'll have to live with the knowledge of your captain's future misery!"

Before any of them could retort to that strange statement, a huge whirlwind closed itself around them and just swallowed them in one go. They were thrown into the air, tossed around and couldn't see anything at all.

"Aaaah!" Brook shouted, trying to hold on to Sanji. "Save me, Sanji-san!"

"Get the hell away from me, I'm only saving the ladies! Nami-san, Robin-chwan, don't fear!"

"Uuugh!" Chopper groaned, clinging on to Zoro's leg for dear life. Nami just shrieked with closed eyes.

"What's going oooon?!"

"I-I think I'm gonna puke." Usopp informed them, turning green. And then, the Strawhats new nothing anymore.

**YXYXYXYXYXY**

"What the hell?!" Zoro groaned as he got up, looking around. They somehow landed in some kind of building with strangely dressed people. The rest of the crew began to get up one after another and each of them looked around in a mix of confusion and wonder.

"Where did that stupid which send us?" Nami muttered. She suddenly blinked, realizing they were the center of attention. There were at least fifteen people surrounding them in a circle, looking at them as if they had popped up out of nowhere.

Oh, Nami realized, they kinda _did_ pop out of nowhere a few seconds ago.

"H-hey, shouldn't we get away from here?" Usopp whispered nervously, hating how everyone was staring at them wide-eyed. Not that he could blame them, though.

"Did you see that?!" One of them said, pointing at the crew. "They just appeared!"

"Oh my god! Is that a skeleton?!"

"AAH! AH PERVERT!" Franky smirked while posing proudly.

"Ya got that right!"

"This school's turning crazier each day," another one commented. Chopper, Franky and Brook were being pointed at the most, Zoro's not-so-ordinary hair color aside.

"Don't tell me that old granny really sent us into the future." Sanji said deadpanned. "I mean, seriously?!"

Chopper shivered, "If that's true, then what time is this?", which triggered a roar of surprises from the crowd.

"No way! It spoke!"

"What kind of animal is that, anyway?"

"What kind of circus did they run away from?!"

"WOULD YOU ALL JUST SHUT UP!" Nami bellowed, eyes flaring with anger. The people jumped back in surprise and immediately calmed down.

"It seems we landed in some kind of modern school." Robin casually guessed while analyzing the pupils. The others looked at her.

"No way, school?" Usopp asked.

"How un-super...," Franky muttered, arms crossed tightly. "Though, I have to admit I like this kind of attention."

"Yohohoho!"

"Not helpful, Brook!" Usopp slapped his bony arm.

Chopper blinked, not daring to give up his hiding place behind Sanji's long legs. "So, what year _is_ this, then?" He asked again.

Robin frowned, looking deep in thought. "I'm not sure. Hey, can you tell me the date, please?" She asked one of the pupils politely.

The young man flinched upon being addressed, but still answered. "Uh, it's the 04th May today I think."

"Year?"

He looked at her as if she'd jumped out of a really bad time-travel movie. "2014 of course."

The Strawhat crews' eyes' widened at that. They got catapulted into the year _2014_? So they really underestimated that old granny. Could this day get any worse?

Zoro groaned. "This witch got some nerves... If I ever get my hands on her again, I swear she'll regret messing with us."

Usopp grabbed his face in shock. "Oh gosh, what are we gonna do now? Do you even realize what this means, guys? How the hell are we gonna get back?"

"Who are those weird people?" Some girl looked at them in disgust. "Did they flee from some kind of freak-show?"

Another round of glares from the navigator sent most of the curious pupils away. Nami sighed, glad to finally have some peace. "Alright. Now that we're here, we should go and find Luffy. There must be a purpose for the witch to sent us here, so I guess our Luffy is an ordinary schoolboy in modern times."

The sudden ring of a bell made most of the Strawhats flinch. Suddenly, all doors opened and a lots of pupils stormed out of the classrooms. The corridor turned into an ant road, everyone seemingly busy and most of them simply ignoring the confused Strawhats.

"Huh? What's going on?" Chopper asked in surprise, not liking how everyone shoved them around.

"Perhaps this is break-time?" Robin suggested. "Maybe we should follow them." Usopp blinked before it dawned upon him.

"Ooh, nice thinking, Robin! We'll find Luffy where they offer something to eat."

"Right! Let's go! As soon as we manage to find him, we'll be back home." Franky said.

Sanji frowned. "I'm not sure about that. That old woman was talking a lot of shit, but I think she said something along the lines of 'fixing the future', whatever the hell that means."

The others didn't have any idea what to reply to that, but they knew Sanji was right. It probably won't be as easy as it sounded.

"We'll see about that when we find Luffy." Zoro signaled the end of the conversation for now, and no one argued.

Most of the pupils didn't really look at them as they passed them in a hurry, but those who did blanched quite a bit. Maybe they should get a long coat for Brook and Franky. Not that a reindeer was any less weird.

Not too soon after that they reached the canteen. To say it was crowded was the understatement of the century. How could so many people fit in such a small room? The modern times surely were a real thrill. How all those kids managed to hold up was a real mystery to the pirates.

"Sooo... Where is he?" Usopp looked around, standing on his toes to gain a better view. The Strawhats gulped. This was going to be a hell a lot harder than they thought.

"Well, well...", Franky murmured, just as lost as the others.

"Great," Nami groaned, "Just great! How on earth do we find Luffy now?" The moment the words left her mouth, one particular voice between all those sounds made them perk up their ears. They'd know his voice anywhere, even if it did sound somewhat high-pitched and uncharacteristically angry. Immediately, they searched for its speaker and where in for a big surprise.

"There! I can see him!" Usopp shouted, pointing at a figure with messy black hair. It stood with its back to them, and the crew at once knew it was Luffy.

"No way." Franky rubbed his eyes, but nothing changed.

Zoro's eye widened. "You have got to be kidding me...!"

Even if this Luffy was actually a _girl_.

The rest of the crew reacted similar, jaws meeting the floor, eyes nearly popping out in sheer surprise. If Luffy had been a math teacher, fine, they could have dealed with it somehow. But the possibility of Luffy being a female never crossed their minds, so the shock was huge.

Chopper gaped at the sight in front of him. "Is that really Luffy?"

"Ooh, he's got quite the curves!" Sanji praised, grinning like a love-struck idiot. Everyone sweat-dropped.

"That sounded so wrong." Usopp muttered.

"Tell me about it." Zoro agreed.

"Fate sure has a funny humor." Robin giggled.

Nami, who still couldn't believe her eyes, began to approach their captain. "Let's go near him, he's talking to someone." The rest followed quickly. Luffy was Luffy, female or not. Or was he?

"Cram it." She snapped in a voice that startled the Strawhats.

"L-look, I know you don't want to be with everyone else and that's fine with me, but I really think you should at least talk to someone. We're classmates after all." A girl with long blue hair said, sounding truly concerned. "You can come over and eat with us anytime you want."

Nami's eyes widened. "Vivi! She's here, too?" She whispered. Sanji immediately went into his heart mode, but Robin stopped him quickly.

"This is probably a future version of the princess, and not the Vivi we knew. She wouldn't recognize us."

"I know you must be lonely." Vivi's concerned voice brought the Strawhats back and they listened intently.

This only annoyed Luffy further. She turned around and grabbed Vivi at the front of her shirt. "I. Said. Cram! It! I don't fucking care about your stupid coffee party!"

Vivi bit her lip, but didn't retort anything. She just stared at Luffy in desperation. She somehow had the feeling the girl was being bothered by something, but couldn't quite put her finger on it. If only she would let Vivi help her. If only Luffy talked to her. But that was something she didn't expect from Luffy. The black-haired girl was far too stubborn for that.

Still, Vivi only wanted to help. There had to be something for her to do!

Luffy glared at her in a way the others had only seen Luffy glare at an enemy like Crocodile, or Lucci. It gave them the chills. Luffy huffed before she finally released Vivi and stomped away in anger. Vivi only watched her leave, looking like a lost child.

"Damn." She cursed and slowly went back to her friends who gazed at her in a funny way.

"Why are you even bothering with that stupid girl? She's aggressive. Leave her be."

Vivi looked at the floor. She knew her friends had no understanding of what she was doing. "I don't know. But I have a bad feeling."

The others smiled. "C'mon, Viv, you must be hungry. Let's go grab a bite before nothing's left."

With that, the small group of girls left. The Strawhats stood there, looking dumbfounded at where Luffy vanished around a corner.

"What the fuck was that?" Zoro asked no one in particular. Brook scratched his head.

"I don't know, either. It was really weird! Did you see the dark look on Luffy-san's face?"

"Yeah. Creeped the hell outta me."

"I know, right? That's something really unfitting on Luffy's face. And the way she acted was just plain out of character." Nami agreed, just as shocked as the rest.

"And she really IS a girl!" Sanji pointed out the obvious, a sly smile on his lips.

"Wipe that thing out of your face!" Nami scolded him.

"This keeps getting weirder and weirder." Franky commented, feeling really tired all of sudden.

Robin sighed. "So, I guess that's what the old woman meant. This Luffy's not only a girl, but she has a different character from our Luffy. And she seems to hide something."

"Something we have to fix, perhaps." Chopper said. "But what could it be?"

"That's something we have to find out." Robin answered.

**YXYXYYXYX**

For the rest of the day, the Strawhats tried to follow Luffy as discretely as possible, somehow managing not to cause much of an uproar with their out-of-place appearance. Most of the time, they hid somewhere around school and made use of Robin's Hana powers. What she saw only deepened her concerns.

So far, she found out that modern-Luffy had absolutely nothing in common with their old captain, save for the scar under her left eye and the dark, messy hair. There was no light in her eyes, only cold anger, and she hardly spoke to anyone. She snapped at everyone who wanted to talk to her, even the teachers, showed no interest during the lessons and just stared out of the window with a hollow expression.

Robin didn't like the way it was leading. All those details supported the theory Robin had formed not too long ago, and that couldn't mean a good thing. She didn't share all her thoughts with the others since she wasn't 100% sure about it and didn't want to worry anyone unnecessarily.

But the others weren't blind nor stupid and had already dealt with a lot of shit before. They began to put the pieces together by themselves, each coming to the same conclusion: Luffy must be a victim of abuse.

That thought alone was enough to drive them up a wall with a fury they didn't know they had in them. The whole scene screamed _wrong_ at them, because it was Luffy they were talking about, and Luffy didn't let anyone abuse him. It was a picture that didn't fit at all. He was strong and could beat the crap out of a lot of people, he saved countries and kingdoms, and he was always laughing and he couldn't be this abrasive, glooming girl.

This Luffy was a shadow of what he used to be. How they wished for their Luffy to be there with them now. The real Luffy, because this girl _couldn't_ be the real one. She was a horrible copy of their captain.

Briefly, they wondered what Luffy would say if he saw his louring future self.

"If I ever get my finger on the source of Luffy's distress...!" Sanji spoke calmly, but his hands were shaking as he re-lit his cigarette.

"Same here." Franky said. They all felt pissed to no end. Robin had told them about the purple and yellow bruises Luffy desperately tried to hide during P.E, but the archaeologist could see through a lot of disguises. Even through one of thuggish behavior.

"Why did she sent us here?! Why is she showing it to us?" Usopp wanted to know, desperately looking at his crew mates. Tears pricked at his eyes and he blinked them away madly. "Or is this all just some sort of sick illusion she created?"

"Don't talk rubbish, Usopp." Zoro scolded him lightly. "We should be thankful for that witch. We can do something. Because now we have the chance to save our captain's future."

Everyone smiled in determination. Zoro was right. They would make sure this Luffy could laugh as brightly and freely as theirs. Someone was gonna pay for taking away their captain's precious smile.

"School should be over, soon. So, ready to go and kick some loser's ass?" Zoro asked.

"OUH!"

**YXYXYXYXYXYX**

**So, the first chapter! Please tell me what you think about it! :D Stay tuned for the next chapter ;) **

**-Neko11**


	2. Her story

**Thank you so much for your reviews, you guys rock! :) **

**Queen Lily Tiger Ellyessa: Thanks :D **

**TheObsessedWriter: Thank you, I hope you'll like this chapter, too :)**

**scatteredPhilosopher: I understand that feeling, but please focus on the abuser alone, he deserves it most x) Thanks a lot! **

**So, here's the next chapter. Have fun reading!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.**

**YXYXYXYXYXYX**

**Chapter 2 – Her story**

They quietly followed female Luffy home. The crew couldn't help but notice how Luffy seemed to slow down the nearer they got to her home. This couldn't be a good sign, but they all agreed not to burst in like some gorillas, and first check out the situation. They needed a plan, and a good one. But most of all, they had to know more about Luffy.

Finally, they reached a small but beautiful, old house. It gave Usopp the creeps, because – as he had pointed out - it looked like the kind of place where the murderer in a crime thriller would hide. It had a small garden with a few plants and one huge tree. The house itself had two floors.

Luffy opened the door and inhaled deeply before she went in, quickly shutting it again. Zoro and the others silently and inconspicuously hid behind a few bushes under a window, some of them trying to peek inside. They could see Luffy stepping into the living room hesitantly. She looked around like a rabbit expecting to get attacked any second.

The fear in her eyes was painfully obvious to them.

"So? Finally deciding to come home?" A dark voice asked.

Luffy immediately flinched and shot around. His crew narrowed their eyes at how jumpy Luffy seemed to be. This kind of nervousness didn't suit her at all. It was almost as if she was scared of that man, but that couldn't be it, right? Luffy was never scared of anyone, was she?

Again, forgetting this wasn't their old Luffy, the one they knew so well, only made the next scene nearly unbearable to watch.

"I- I'm sorry. Someone from my class needed something from me-",

"I don't CARE!" The man shouted as he shot up from the couch. Luffy shut up and instinctively took a step back. She bit her lip as the huge guy towered dangerously over her, making her look so small and vulnerable. Closing her eyes, she knew fully well what was coming next.

„What the-," Zoro abruptly shut his mouth when the man slapped Luffy across the face so hard her head flew to the side. Normally, Luffy would have dodged such a sloppy attack easily, but this wasn't a proud pirate captain. She was just a lonely, helpless girl living in a nightmare.

The Strawhats gasped, eyes' widening; some had blank expressions, others were showing their hate clearly. But each of them wanted to beat the shit out of that bastard.

"You mustn't come home late ever again, you hear me? Honestly, you can't do anything right. You're really useless!" He shouted loudly at Luffy who had a blank expression, head still turned to the side. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him.

"Did you hear what I was saying, you blockhead?"

"Yes. I'm sorry, uncle. It won't be happen again." She apologized without emotions.

He 'tched' and shoved her away so that she nearly fell, but managed to catch herself. "Go make me dinner. And this time something better than the last grub!" He barked and Luffy jumped, hurrying into the kitchen.

"This... this can't be! Who's this swine?" Usopp whispered wide-eyed.

The Strawhats felt nothing but cold anger and disgust for this man. So they had been right with their suspicions. No wonder Luffy was so gloomy with such a monster at home. How could anyone be so cruel? Did this man feel great while hitting someone weaker than him? It made the Strawhats want to throw up.

"That bitch," he muttered as he turned around. Suddenly, as the man stepped out of the darkness, they recognized him.

"No way! Akainu?!" Sanji couldn't believe it. What kind of sick, twisted game where they thrown into?!

"How _dare_ he!" Brook's grip on the window frame tightened so much he was beginning to scratch off some of the wood.

Robin bit her lip as she watched with growing animosity. This is the world we live in, she thought. Things hadn't changed much since then, and it would probably never really change. There would always be such assholes as him, no matter where or when you were. It left Robin with a numbness inside as she thought how bitter it all was.

„This sick bastard!" Nami hissed. Sanji was about to smash the window in and Usopp and Brook looked ready to join but Franky managed to stop them.

„Hold it, boys! Don't rush in like madmen! I know how you feel, but you'll only make things worse!" He nearly shouted.

„What?! Let go!" Usopp demanded.

„Are you fucking kidding me?! There's a girl getting beaten up and you tell me to sit tight?!" Sanji screamed back, face turning red. He struggled against Franky's grip.

„Calm down, Sanji, this isn't getting us anywhere. As much as I want to stop that guy, Franky's right. This would be the wrong way to handle things. We agreed before-handy to think up a plan before we act. " Robin explained as calmly as possible, but even she was barely able to restrain her anger.

"How can we not interfere?!" Sanji still tried.

"What do you think would happen if we tore the whole place down, kill the guy and leave as if nothing happened?! Think about Luffy, dammit! She'll be the one to be suspected of hiring us or some crazy shit! We have to make sure Luffy's absolutely out of danger!" Franky reasoned angrily.

Sanji looked at him with crazed eyes, but his struggles slowly died down. The others glared at the ground, fists shaking.

Zoro growled and everyone noticed his tight grip on the handle of his swords, but he only nodded.

Nami threw one last glance into the window, then she turned away quickly as if she couldn't handle seeing it anymore. They even heard the shouting from that man, and it sickened them. She gestured the others to get out of the garden, and they followed. Nami gripped her arms tightly to stop the shaking.

"Let's get the hell out of here." She muttered, and they vanished around a corner into a lonely alley.

Suddenly, as everything that happened began to sink in, they all slumped down as if admitting defeat. The following silence reigned over them like a cold storm. It was just all too much to progress, they needed time to accept this kind of environment they were thrown into, and much more, they had to realize their happy-go-lucky captain had one hell of a life in this world.

"It's just so unfair...," Usopp whispered as he rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. He was hugging Chopper tightly and gently patted his head when the little one sobbed into his chest. Nami watched the two, already crying herself.

"I know. No one should have to go through such shit, let alone our captain. I mean, he deserves some better life! He did so much good in the past, why is all that happening to him now?!" She asked no one in particular.

"Why Akainu of all people? Why the murderer of his brother?!" Chopper cried.

"This is a different Akainu, don't forget that. Ace may not even be Luffy's brother here." Robin reminded him gently.

"But... still! It's like some horrible joke of fate! Can't Luffy have his peace in this world?" The reindeer demanded in a shaky voice, unable to stay silent.

The others didn't answer. They all knew how unfair life was and how everyone had to carry their own weight. But what they just witnessed was just too shocking to take in at once. This weren't some bullies at school, this was a bastard who beat up a girl every day; a gut-wrenching wrongness they all wished they never had to witness.

"If only Luffy-san were as strong as he was back then." Brook said, back slumped against the stone wall. Zoro nodded.

"He would totally wipe the floor with that douche bag." Zoro grumbled, his usual frown even deeper. How he wanted to slash that dickhead and drag Luffy out of that hellplace!

"Yeah, shitface wouldn't know what hit him." Sanji agreed. He needed a smoke so bad right now but he'd already used up his last cigarette during school.

Franky sighed. "No wonder Luffy-sis was so aggressive at school. I mean, I wouldn't want any friends to butt into my problems at home, too. I'd feel ashamed as hell."

"Yes, but that's just wrong-placed stubbornness. Maybe friends are exactly what she needs right now." Robin suggested. "Friends who show her how to depend on them. Nobody can walk all alone, let alone through such a life."

"Isn't that funny? It's just what Luffy taught us." Usopp spoke up, grinning slightly as he tried to light up their situation a bit.

"Oh, that's true!" Brook smiled, even if no one could see it. "Luffy-san is a wise guy."

"It's time for her to leave things to us. We're still his nakama, time-travel and all to hell. Luffy's still our captain." Zoro said matter-of-factly, and no one argued. It was true.

At that, Nami smiled. "We need to do the same Luffy did for us." The others looked at her, waiting for an answer.

"Save his life."

**YXYXYXYXYXY**

Later that evening, Akainu went out to get a drink. Luffy only hoped he'd leave her alone when he came home, since he was even more aggressive when drunk.

The whole crew was relieved when the man left, even if it was just temporarily. Him being alone with Luffy left a foul taste in their mouths, so now that he was gone for a while, they felt a bit better and had time to concentrate on some kind of plan without having to worry about Luffy for the moment. Though, it was safe to say that in the back of their heads they all hoped the bastard would get run over by a car on his way home or something. They had seen enough of him to hate him with passion. In the end, the modern-Akainu wasn't that much of a better person than the past one.

Luffy crawled into her bed, curling up tightly. She wanted to hide under the blanked forever, just out of vision from everyone. She never wanted to see anybody anymore.

"No more." She whispered, chocking on tears. "How am I going to endure it?" She felt like she was going to explode soon. She needed to get out, away form that stupid man and away from this hell called her life. She just wanted to be free and _live_.

After a few minutes of silent weeping, her shaking body began to calm down. She wiped her nose, rubbed at her eyes and decided she'd cried enough.

'You crybaby!' Ace had always laughed at her, 'you're just so weak.'

Despite the harsh words, Luffy smiled at the memory. She'd adored her big brother. When Ace had suddenly collapsed and never woken up again, Luffy's whole world collapsed with him. She got caught up in a nightmare and couldn't seem to awaken.

Ace had taken care of her since she could walk. She was very little when their parents died and Luffy didn't remember them very well, but Ace was old enough to look after her. Since then, there was just her and Ace, they had so much fun together, going on vacation, traveling around, doing homework together and so on. Luffy couldn't have been happier, and there was nothing she wished for. She had Ace, what else did she need?

When her brother died of a sudden heart attack, she was left all alone until some weird guy popped up out of nowhere, claiming to be some distant relative of hers. Luffy didn't know him at all, and she refused to go with him because he was creepy, but in the end she had no chance. Luffy wasn't old enough to be living on her own, so the orphanage decided to leave her with the creep-guy. Not too soon after that, it proved to be a huge mistake but since Akainu threatened to hurt her even more, she shut her mouth tightly and didn't dare to tell anyone about it. She decided to bear the weight of abuse on her own slender shoulders. She wanted to be strong, for herself, and for Ace.

She's been living that way for the past six years.

She hated crying. Ace had taught her not to weep, because there were always some good sides, you just had to look at it from a different perspective. But Luffy couldn't find the right perspective to look at her life in a good way.

"I'm sorry, Ace. I'm trying my best, really. But it's so hard to go on like this. If only you were here. Or, if only Akainu hadn't shown up and they'd let me stay in the orphanage." She hugged her knees tightly to her chest, staring off into the darkness.

"Vivi said she's trying to help me, but really, what does she know?!" Luffy grit her teeth. "She doesn't know anything and acts all helpful and concerned. It pisses me off!"

Luffy buried her head in her arms and shut her eyes tightly. "Everything pisses me off so, so much."

**YXYXYXYXYXY**

Robin's heart went out to the poor girl. There was so much misery and pain in her voice when she spoke it was nearly too much. She's suffered so much, but now they would put an end to that. The days of Luffy being beaten were over now.

She sighed as she released her ear on the girl's bedroom door and turned to the others. The didn't need to ask Robin to know Luffy was crying.

Robin told them briefly what she'd heard, and how she found out that Luffy hadn't been with that guy her entire life. Based on what Luffy'd mentioned earlier, she used to live in an orphanage before Akainu came.

"At least she didn't have to endure it all her life." Franky pointed out. "But it still sucks so much!"

"I would do anything to go up there and just hug her." Chopper said quietly. Nami nodded, looking just as desperate as the reindeer. "Can't we? Just for a short time?"

Sanji snorted. "And what do we tell her? 'Pardon the intrusion, we used to be your crew five hundred years ago, and we're here to save you' sounds just a tiny bit clichè, don't you think?"

"Besides, she'll think she has gone nuts or something. There's no way she'll believe us." Usopp said.

"But what do we do? We can't sit around ignoring everything that's going on in this house!" Nami argued, gesturing at the dark house. They all sat in the small shed of Akainu's garden, not daring to light a candle. It was cramped and dark, but at least they had some sort of shelter and were near Luffy at the same time.

"If we really want to help her, then we have to introduce us at one point." Zoro stated with crossed arms.

"I agree. Otherwise it's nearly impossible. Besides, what's so wrong about showing ourselves? We have plenty of proofs of our identity." Robin spoke.

"Proofs? You mean your devil fruits?" Usopp asked, "Is it really okay to reveal so much of this? I mean, I don't think they know about special abilities in these times."

"Hey, Usopp-bro, what other choice do we have? This is the only way! Don't be such a pussy!" Franky smirked and patted Usopp on the back roughly.

"Besides, we have a tall walking skeleton with us. We can't hide Brook forever!" Sanji joined in with a cheeky grin.

Usopp's shoulders slumped in defeat. "Alright, alright. I mean, I really want to meet her as soon as possible, but I was just scared. But you're right. Let's go see her."

"That's the spirit!" Nami flipped his long nose as a sign of affection and Usopp protested madly about it. They laughed quietly and carefully went out of the shed. It was already dark outside which made it easier to go unseen.

"How should we do this? We can't just break in, it'll freak her out!" Franky said.

"How about ringing the bell? I guess that's the best way of getting into someone's house." Brook suggested.

"You know what, we'll just do that." Nami said and rang the bell two times. The bell made quite the noise and they all cringed at how it echoed through the whole house. They waited for nearly two minutes in complete silence, and nothing inside stirred. They looked at each other, frowning, and Nami tried again.

Finally, they heard Luffy move down the stairs, slowly but steadily, and soon a quiet 'hello?' sounded from behind the door. It was weird how shy Luffy sounded, but Nami quickly pushed that thought aside.

"Uncle? Is that you? Did you forget something?"

"No, my name is Nami." She tried to respond as friendly as possible. "I'm sorry for disturbing you, but can we come in? I know it's late, but we have to discuss a few things with you. It's really important."

A short pause followed, and everyone held their breath. Finally Luffy answered. "Who are you?"

Nami looked at the others for help.

"We're from the past. We used to be your past self's crew." Zoro explained in all seriousness, and Nami whacked him upside the head.

"You numbskull! If you put it like that, she'll never believe us!" Nami screeched, and Zoro just shrugged.

"I thought we were going to tell her the truth, so that's what I did."

"You're so pretty when you're mad, Nami-san!" Sanji praised. Chopper hid behind Usopp's legs.

"Scary Nami."

"Uh-huh."

"I'm not scary!" She screamed.

"No, but you're noisy. You're attracting people." Zoro rubbed his left ear, and earned himself another bump on the head.

"SHUT UP!"

"Oh, harsh as always!" Brook commented with a laugh.

Robin just giggled at the crew's usual antics. Meanwhile, Luffy on the other side of the door listened intently while blinking, slightly dumbfounded.

"What do you want?" She asked softly, confused. Where they from a circus or something?

"I'm sorry to bother you so late, but we really mean no harm. Can you please let us in? We'll leave when you want us out, I promise." Robin said, and something inside Luffy clicked. These voices sounded so warm, so familiar. She didn't know why, but Luffy knew she could trust them.

Slowly, with a creaking noise, the door opened and revealed a tired-looking girl with a slightly swollen cheek who blinked up at them with wondering eyes.

She was barefooted, dressed in black shorts and a simple blue top. Sanji couldn't help but look at her chest that had nearly the same size as Nami's, and went dancing.

"Sanji-kun." Nami only said in a tone of voice that promised pain if he didn't stop now. The cook flinched and went into his normal mode again, apologizing quickly.

"Can we come in?" Robin asked again with a smile. Luffy mustered Robin slowly and carefully, before she responded with a short nod and stepped aside to allow them access. Because of the darkness, Luffy couldn't see very well but she was sure she recognized none of them. Good. If they were from her school that would only mean trouble for her.

"Turn right, there's the kitchen. We can talk there, but only until my uncle comes back. He doesn't like guests."

Usopp wrinkled his nose at how Luffy spoke of him as an uncle. Where they really relatives in these times? That would be a terrible coincidence. If their Luffy knew of this...

The crew couldn't help but take a good look at Luffy, now that they had the chance to. She had slightly longer hair, but it was just as messy and had the same color. On the right side, she had one long strand of hair that was braided.

She was a bit shorter than her past self and appeared slender. Her skin was lightly tanned but her face was pale and there were rings under her eyes. Because she only wore a sleeveless top that didn't cover her arms she crossed them and tried to hide the bruises with her hands. It looked like she'd just realized they weren't covered and was fidgety as the eyes of the others bore into her.

"What is it you wanted to talk a- WHAT ARE YOU!" She suddenly screeched, jumping back in shock as she pointed at Brook in panic.

Franky laughed. "So you only noticed him now?" Luffy's eyes went even wider.

"And what's wrong with YOU? Are you some kind of-of ROBOT?!" She skidded away until her back hit the wall, looking like a trapped mouse.

"Man, you're slow. Just like our Luffy." Usopp mused. Chopper stepped forward to the shaking girl.

"Calm down, Luffy, we-,"

"A-a talking skunk?" She stuttered. Zoro roared with laughter at that.

"A SKUNK? I'm NOT a skunk, I'm a reindeer!" Chopper shouted, pissed off, as he turned into his huge brain point.

"EEEK!"

Nami finally had enough when she pulled at her hair in annoyance. "Really, I can never go out with you guys, you're all acting like a bunch of mad people! Robin?"

The older woman nodded, knowing they didn't have much time left. She simply used her powers and sprouted extra hands at the guys' shoulders to clasp their mouths shut. It worked just fine, but that was enough to sent poor Luffy over the edge. She blanched visibly upon seeing hands grow out of Brook's bony shoulder, her eyes rolled back and she collapsed.

"Nice going, Robin." Zoro commented dryly. The woman only shrugged. "At least everyone's quiet now."

_-Half an hour later-_

Luffy looked at them with slightly narrowed eyes. They had told them their story, where they came from, how a strange witch sent them into the future and how she was the reincarnation of their captain. They told her of adventures, and dreams, and traveling, and she couldn't help but feel so jealous of her past self. What an amazing life he must have had, being able to sail where he wanted to with no one to tell him what he was allowed to do and what not.

Despite the weirdness of the story, she had to believe them. A living skeleton, growing limbs and Zoro's natural green hair were all she needed to buy it. It had to be true. Besides, she felt a strange familiarity about the situation she couldn't quite describe. It felt as if she belonged there, beside those funny guys.

What a crazy bunch of people they were. How she wished she could sail with them far, far away from this place.

"You guys are real pirates?" She wanted to know, watching them how they interacted so friendly with one another. It must be so nice to be part of them...

"Yeah!" Usopp stated proudly, smirking.

Luffy didn't reply for a second, face blank.

"Take me with you." She was so caught up in the moment that it just blurted out.

Eight pairs of eyes looked at her in surprise and shock. Shouldn't she have said that? Well, now it was too late.

"What?" Franky asked. "That's impossible!"

Luffy frowned, desperation swinging in her voice. "Why not? Please! I'll do everything! I can wash your clothes and clean the ship!"

The others looked troubled, not sure how to reply to that. "Look, I'd really love to invite you in our crew, Luffy-chan, but it simply isn't possible." Sanji said, and you could see the sadness in his eyes. Luffy nearly despaired at that, but bit her lip instead, eyes shimmering with unshed tears.

"But-", she tried but was cut off.

"Luffy, it's not our place. We're from the past and we can't take you with us. These rules cannot be broken. You won't be able to survive long, and we can't look after you all the time." Zoro's dark voice explained. Luffy shot back as if she was bitten by a snake, shock and hurt clear in her face. She looked down, hands curling into tight fists.

"Zoro, wasn't that a bit harsh?" Chopper asked fearfully. "Luffy, we-",

"Get out."

Brook gasped. "Luffy-san..."

Nami looked at Luffy sadly. "Luffy, we're sorry, but even if we can't take you with us, we'll help you as much as we can. We'll get rid of that bastard."

Luffy slammed her hands down on the table, startling them. Her head shot up and she glared at them with nothing but hate and jealousy she didn't even bother to hide. "Get the fuck out of my house!" She screamed.

"Luffy, please!" Nami tried, but Robin gently grabbed her arm and pulled her out of her seat.

"Don't, Nami. She wants us to leave." The rest got up as well, sensing this was the end of the conversation. There wasn't much they could do right now.

The made their way back to the front door, faces solemn. When Franky opened it and stepped out, Nami couldn't take it anymore and shot around, face to face with the girl.

"Listen, brat, we'll help you even if you don't want us to." She hissed, "Just realize that you can't do everything on your own!"

Luffy looked outright pissed. "I don't need anybody! I've managed just fine until now!" The hot tears that ran down her face weren't exactly supporting her statement, but at the moment she couldn't care less about that. She just wanted to be left alone.

"You can take that stubbornness and shove it up your ass!" Nami shouted. With that, she turned around, pushed the others out and slammed the door behind her shut. The empty silence that followed hit Luffy harder than one of Akainu's punches.

_'I'm such a fool! What was I thinking? Of course they wouldn't let me go with them. I'm too clumsy.' _Luffy thought bitterly, hands trembling with emotions she could barely handle.

She just stood there staring at the spot Nami stood only seconds ago. Time passed, seconds turned into minutes, and after half an hour she was still crying angry, silent tears. It was the silence that meant much more than any noise ever could have. She just stood there, staring, staring and _staring_.

"I was wrong. I can't do anything on my own." Luffy finally whispered as she buried her tear-stained face into her hands. "I can't do anything right! What am I doing?"

**YXYXYXYXYXYX**

**Poor Luffy! **

**Reviews are greatly appreciated :D Hopefully until next chapter!**

**-Neko11**


	3. I know you're not okay

**Thanks a bunch for reviewing :,D **

**TheObsessedWriter: Same here! Thank you, I'm really happy to hear that :D **

**Queen Lily Tiger Ellyessa: Thanks for reviewing again! I hope this chapter answers your question ;) **

**scatteredPhilosopher: Wow, thank you for this long review! Haha yeah maybe^^ I couldn't think of a better situation as to why the Strawhats would be sent into the future, hence the weird old granny xD Sorry to Ace, Luffy and you :3 Yeah, that's true. I wasn't sure whether to mention their pasts but I think you are right. Their situations are quite similar, after all, and it fitted well in the chapter, so I included it :) Thank you, that's great to hear! I hope you'll like this chapter as well :D **

**luffylover: Thanks :3**

**Guest: I know, right? Drama, baby, drama xD Haha, thanks, glad you like my weird sense of humor! :) Thanks for your support! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own One Piece.**

**YXYXYXYXYX**

**Chapter 3 – I know you are not okay...**

"Well, guys, you don't need me to tell you how bad you've messed up just now, do you?" Franky asked as he looked at Zoro and Nami with a scowling expression.

They had once again gathered in the small shed. What other place did they have than this one? It was better than nothing.

Zoro 'hmph'ed and looked away. "It couldn't be helped. We can't take her with us. She belongs in this time, not in ours. She had to see that."

"Senseless rock," Sanji muttered, which Zoro ignored for once.

"Still, you weren't exactly gently. You saw what kind of reaction you triggered!" Usopp hollered at Zoro who just grunted. He knew that hadn't been the right way, but the whole situation just pissed him off. He wanted to kick that guy's ass more than anything, and Luffy had only complicated things. He really hadn't wanted to hurt her, but he'd felt as if it had to be said.

Nami rubbed angrily at her face, not giving in to cry. "I know I've overreacted, I'm sorry. But she really drives me crazy!"

Sanji gently rubbed her shoulder. "She reminds you of yourself, doesn't she?" He remembered Nami's stubbornness and anger when they saw her at Cocoyashi village clearly; not that he blamed her for it, of course.

Nami swallowed and nodded reluctantly. "Yes. I used to believe I didn't have anyone to rely on, and that I didn't need you. I thought this fight was my own."

"Which Luffy ignored. He wouldn't hear any of it and just did what had to be done." Zoro filled in.

She nodded again, a watery smile on her face. "Yes."

The others smiled at her. Brook nodded in understanding. "This Luffy-san will realize this, too. Just give her some time. It was a lot to deal with for one evening."

"She's strong. She'll manage with our help." Zoro simply said, being the ever-loyal first mate he was.

Usopp nodded. "True story. I mean, I'd have freaked out in her place! It was a wonder she trusted us so easily with her kind of back story!"

Robin frowned. She had to admit what Usopp said was true. "That surprised me, too. Though it made things easier, I wonder about it."

"Maybe it just shows our special bond? She's still Luffy, maybe she feels that we are her nakama?" Chopper piped up.

"Actually, I believe you might be right." Brook answered. "We share a strong friendship, and maybe it's just as Chopper-san said?"

Zoro shifted uneasily. "Be that as it may be, we have an other major concern here: How do we go on now?"

The rest thought about it for a moment.

"Fact is, as much as we'd like to, we cannot burst in and beat the asshole up. Fact two, Luffy herself cannot beat him up." Sanji stated, counting on his fingers.

"Fact three, I have a brilliant idea." Usopp suddenly spoke up, smirking and waving his hand as if he wanted attention.

Chopper gasped. "Really?" Sanji pouted a little, not liking how he got cut off by the liar.

"How 'bout we investigate more about her background? We should find more information in the orphanage Robin told us about earlier."

The others looked at him, blinking. "You know, that idea ain't so bad. Maybe we can find another relative of hers? Someone with less aggressiveness problems." Nami muttered.

"Sounds like some sort of plan." Sanji nodded. "Not bad, mr. storyteller!"

"So then it's decided." Nami said, leaning forwards with a grin. "Tomorrow, we'll go see the orphanage."

"Let's just hope the bastard doesn't touch Luffy in the meantime." Zoro growled darkly, hands itching to grasp his swords.

Robin smirked. "I'll keep an eye on him."

**YXYXYXYXYXY**

Quietly, undercover, they managed to make out the orphanage Luffy used to live in. It took them nearly one day, but they got there safely and while the master thief Nami, the one with the good hearing and smelling, Chopper, and Sanji went in to investigate, Zoro (bad sense of direction) and Usopp stayed outside, hidden.

Robin, Brook and Franky had stayed back at Luffy's house since the skeleton and the cyborg were too attention-catching to walk around. Instead, they kept Robin company who was trying to watch over Luffy from the shed.

It was weekend, so Luffy had to stay at home and wasn't allowed to leave the house unless she had to bring the garbage out. Robin's powers proved to be really useful once again when Akainu wanted to hit Luffy as she accidentally dropped a cup.

"You dunce, look at the mess you've made!" He shouted and stroke out, but suddenly something stopped his arm and he couldn't move it. Luffy gasped as she saw Robin's hands popping out of his shoulder, holding his arm firmly in place.

She looked around, searching for the woman but couldn't find her. Akainu roared in frustration as he couldn't get his hand free. He turned around, furiously.

"Who's stopping me? Huh?" Akainu was dumbfounded when there was no one else in the house. It felt as if someone was grabbing his arm. "Dammit, what is this?!" He cursed. Because of his bulky appearance, he couldn't turn his head far to look clearly over his shoulder, that's why he didn't spot the hands.

Luffy was surprised but really grateful at the same time. She quickly began to clean the floor where the cup lay shattered, and raced upstairs out of harm's way. Hopefully he wasn't in the mood to come after her.

"Sorry, not today." Robin said, one eye still closed as she used her powers. That man wasn't the strongest fish in the pot, so the archaeologist didn't have too much trouble holding his arm. Beside her, Brook and Franky grinned, giving her a thumbs-up.

After a while of struggling, Akainu grumbled and muttered something about having really tense muscles today and how he needed a massage to get rid of the 'cramp'. Robin decided to let it go for now, but she kept an eye on him the whole day, just in case he tried something again.

Akainu lay on the couch, pissed off, and switched on the tv. He didn't feel like chasing after Luffy today even though he was in such a sour mood. Maybe tomorrow.

**YXYXYXXXYX**

Zoro noticed them first. They came out running, waving a piece of paper around excitedly. "We got it!" They shouted.

"Did anyone see you?" Usopp asked nervously. Chopper shook his head. "No, we were really careful."

Usopp exhaled. "Good."

Zoro pointed at the paper. "What's this?"

"The key to Luffy's new home." Nami smirked.

**YXYXYXYXYX**

It was one day later, in the evening, when Akainu went out to drink again. It was Sunday, and the sun had just set. The darkness was beginning to crawl out, and so were the Strawhats.

They only hoped Luffy would listen to them. Maybe she was still moping because of their argument last time. They rang the bell, waiting before the front door again. Luffy opened it quickly as if she'd waited for them to come again. The girl narrowed her eyes.

"What do you want?" she asked in a dark voice, glaring at them. Okay, she _was_ still moping.

"Luffy, can we talk?" Chopper answered timidly. She ground her teeth and was about to slam the door shut, but Zoro stopped it.

"It was a rhetorical question." He said in a voice that left no room for argument. She glared daggers at him as she tried to push the door close with all her might, but the swordsman was too strong for her. He only needed one arm, and didn't even make an effort. It only frustrated her more.

"Luffy, let us in." Usopp said.

"No! Get lost! I don't want to see you!" She shouted, outraged. "Let go of the door, asshole!"

Zoro didn't budge, a blank expression on his face. Nami stemmed her hands on her hips, frowning. "Too bad, because we want to see you!"

Luffy trembled in anger and exhaustion. "You stupid bastards! I'll call the police!"

"Alright, go ahead. You can tell them how Akainu mistreats you." Robin stated calmly. Luffy paled.

"Like they will believe me. And Akainu kills me if I do that." She murmured. She seemed to snap back and threw herself against the door again. "Let go already! Fuck off!"

"Zoro, open the door." Nami ordered and the first mate easily pushed it open, forcing Luffy back inside. She shrieked as she fell on her butt.

"Hey! You cannot do that! Get out!"

Franky quickly closed it again. "Don't make such a fuss, girly. You can't throw us out."

Luffy grit her teeth. "I know you've been watching me. Just leave me alone. This is none of your business."

Nami grabbed her roughly at her collar and pulled her up in one swift motion, glaring at her. "Don't you get it, you stupid girl? You need our help! You may have survived the past years, but what kind of life is that? Open your eyes and take the help we offer you!"

Luffy wasn't intimidated. Nami wasn't nearly as scary as Akainu. "What would someone like you know?!"

This was the last straw. Nami literally exploded, shaking Luffy roughly. "What would someone like us now?! We're just some silly pirates, worthless and annoying, right?" Luffy looked at Nami in shock; where had that outburst come from?

"My mother was murdered in front of my eyes when I was ten! I've been forced to work for him for eight fucking years, and I thought I could do it on my own. I chased Luffy and the others away because I didn't want them to butt into my problems! I was too scared and ashamed to let them in!"

Nami inhaled deeply, voice shaking slightly. "But Luffy didn't leave. He saved me even though he had no idea what was going on; he simply beat up the bastard because he saw me crying."

Luffy didn't know what to say. She had no idea Nami had had that kind of … _fucked up_ life! How could she be so happy now? As if she grew up having a great childhood? Luffy was truly speechless. Nami however wasn't finished yet.

"Robin had a rough time until Luffy came and demanded her to say she wanted to live. She was scared of trusting us, because in the past every crew she was part of abandoned her eventually. She had no one to turn to, and the whole world wanted her dead. The whole world save for _us_. We came, and we didn't turn away even as she screamed at us to. Luffy declared war at the World Government, which is the same as declaring war against the whole world! He understood her better than anyone else, and he knew exactly what to do, and eventually Robin asked for our help. Luffy nearly died saving her, but he would do it over and over again for his friends!"

Luffy looked at Robin with an outraged expression. Robin only watched her calmly. She smiled slightly, cocking her head to the side. "Brook's past was really hard, too. He'd sailed fifty years trough a fog after his whole crew died. Actually, everyone of us had a hard past, but Luffy found us and gave us a better life. A life where we have a family, and can laugh freely. He saved all of us."

"H-he did? Why? You were strangers for him, weren't you?!" Luffy demanded. She didn't understand!

Sanji shook his head. "That's just the kind of guy he is. He has a good heart. He chose us as his nakama -for whatever reason- and he wouldn't stop until we're truly his. He's stubborn."

Luffy gulped, sniffling as she stared angrily at her feet. "But this isn't the past! This is different! I mean, you don't belong here, you said so yourself! I don't even know you!"

"Just give it up already, Luffy. You're stronger than that." Usopp said.

"I am strong! I can do what I want!" She shouted back in desperation.

"Really? Alright, then how about you don't cook for that shithead tonight? How about going to a party instead? Can you do that?" Sanji.

Luffy had nothing to reply to that. She bit her tongue and avoided their glances stubbornly.

"You're a prisoner of that bastard. You can't do anything you want to. And nothing will change until you let us in." Franky said. "What's so bad about asking others for help?"

Still Luffy didn't reply. Nami grunted and let go of her collar so sudden it made Luffy stumble back. She refused to look at any of them.

"We can understand how you feel! We went through similar stuff, it's not just you! You aren't suffering alone!" Nami pressed furiously.

"We found some information about you in the orphanage you used to stay at." Sanji began, "I don't know what kind of crap Akainu told you, but we found some other relatives of yours. They're living at the east coast."

This managed to trigger some reaction from Luffy. Her eyes widened and her hand twitched.

Sanji noticed and tried again, "It's your uncle and his twenty-year-old son. Shanks and Sabo."

A few seconds of silence passed by as the truth slowly sank in.

"I have relatives...?" She asked, her voice hushed. "H-he never told me about them! I always thought I had no one... he always told me everyone else had died!"

"That's because he's a selfish asshole." Usopp said angrily.

"We've contacted them and they said they'll come and visit you." Robin said. Luffy gaped at her.

"What?! When?!"

"Soon." Brook smiled.

"Why did you do that? Akainu will kill them! Besides, they won't take me in! I'm just like a dead weight at their legs! I mean, why didn't they come and get me when Ace died? Why did they wait until Akainu adopted me?!" Luffy babbled in panic, eyes wide and frantic.

"They simply weren't informed. It was a mistake by the orphanage, but apparently they hadn't thought it was necessary to do so since Akainu agreed to take you in. He really is a distant relative of yours." Robin carefully explained. Luffy looked at her with desperate eyes, eyes that were pleading to take away all that misery. She shook her head,

"I can't believe that. He lied to me all the time!"

The Strawhats tried to calm her down, but it didn't work very well.

"If he finds out I'm trying to get away from him he'll-", Luffy began but was cut off as strong arms wrapped around her. Luffy closed her eyes, tears spilling out as she tried to push away.

"No! Let me go!" she protested, but Zoro didn't retreat. It was awkward as hell for him, but this was something that had to be done.

"He won't do anything because if he tries to, I'll slice him open." he simply told her. Luffy trembled, slowly looking up at him.

"You...! You suddenly pop up out of fucking nowhere and turn everything upside down! How can you?! You stupid idiots!" She couldn't hold it back any longer and sobbed loudly into her hands. "Where have you been these past six years?!"

The Strawhats' hearts squeezed painfully at that.

"Don't worry, we're here now." Zoro said, letting her go and ruffling her hair affectionally.

"That's right, he won't hurt you anymore!" Usopp smiled and suddenly hugged her as well, Chopper following. She squeaked in surprise, not used to being embraced so much, and began to cry more but this time out of happiness. The wall broke and her emotions came floating out. They all circled around her laughing and crying with her as she finally realized she wasn't alone in this world.

Could this really be the end of her misery?

_-Later-_

"That's your plan? I just have to make him angry?" Luffy asked again.

"I know it's very dangerous for you, but we're nearby and keep watch over the situation." Nami promised. "We just need to gather a proof so that the police will believe us later."

Luffy looked at the others, then at the ground. She considered the whole idea, looking extremely thoughtful. The pirates waited patiently, knowing it was a risky plan but it was the only thing they could think of. And it could work.

Finally, Luffy nodded. "But," she said, gaining everyone's attention, "just under one condition: Don't interfere, even if he hits me."

They were immediately against it. "You expect us to watch this shit happen again? One time was enough, and I don't think I could hold back anymore." Sanji said, taking a deep drag of his cigarette.

"I don't expect you to, that's why I ask you! Please!" She tried again, trying to emphasize how much it meant to her.

"No way! We won't-," Usopp began but Nami beat him to it.

"Alright."

Seven pairs of eyes went wide and shot to her. "What?!"

Nami studied Luffy for a moment, then she sighed. "We agree. You are too stubborn, do you know that? We'll trust you in this one, but Luffy, promise me one thing: Be careful."

Luffy looked downright serious as she promised honestly,

"Yeah. I will be careful."

"Good."

"But Nami!" Chopper argued. "It's too dangerous!"

Zoro sighed, understanding. "She decided to trust us, now let's trust her as well." Chopper looked as if he wanted to protest further, but Sanji patted his head.

"Let it go, Chopper. It'll work out fine in the end."

Nami grinned. "Okay, everyone. Now, let's get the plan into action."

**YXYXYXYXYXYX**

Akainu came home, and he and Luffy sat at the kitchen table. She'd announced she wanted to talk to him, and Akainu had cursed and sworn, indignant as to why the heck she'd demand something now, but pushed her into the kitchen.

"What is it, brat?" He barked, glaring at her from across the table. She hoped he couldn't hear her loudly beating heart, and managed to stare him down. Akainu was ready to burst. She was behaving oddly today, and he didn't like it.

"I'll leave today." Luffy announced plainly.

Akainu immediately stilled, voice dark. He spoke as if he had to drag each word out. "You are going to do what?"

Luffy could sense the danger in the air, the atmosphere getting tense. She swallowed the lump in her throat and got up. "I'll leave this house. I'm going to live with my uncle and my cousin from now on."

"Your uncle and cousin? I'm your only uncle! You stupid ungrateful bitch!" Akainu roared, face red as a tomato. He jumped up so fast he knocked his chair over, the wood clashing when it made contact with the kitchen floor.

"I've been feeding you all this time, and now you dare turn your back on me? How dare you?!"

Luffy didn't budge like he expected her to, and it only made him more furious. "Where does that sudden resistance come from, huh? Met some little friends who promised to help you? They'll never be able to protect you, as long as I live! I'll kill you!" The man's words were loud and filled with hot fury that sent shivers down Luffy's spine, but she refused to give in. Not this time. Not now.

Lashing out verbally didn't satisfy the sick mind of Akainu, so he resumed to slapping her. The whacking noise echoed lonely through the hallway, but Luffy didn't let any sound pass her lips. She stumbled from the impact and it stung as hell, but she turned her head back to Akainu.

And as he was about to lash out again, for the first time in her life Luffy _screamed_ back at him, startling him effectively. "I will do whatever I want! You don't own me!" Her voice was loud and clear, and there was so much force behind it that Akainu halted for a second. That had never happened before.

"You dare raise your voice?!" He nearly shrieked, eyes wide and frantic as his mind didn't want to grasp the reality. Luffy was slipping away from him, he could feel how he lost control over her. It terrified him and he screamed, kicking the table away in a moment of sheer madness. Luffy watched him like a hawk, and even though tremors shook her body she didn't lose her stance.

Not now! _Not ever again!_

Another hard slap followed, Luffy stumbled and felt as if something squeezed her chest tightly. She knew that feeling very well. It had tormented her for the past six years. It was fear. But another feeling was sprouting from inside her, as if the hit had triggered something that had stayed hidden for too long.

Determination. Luffy was thinking of the salty sea she'd only seen in movies, her dreams she wanted to achieve, and a bunch of funny, crazy pirates.

Everything combined was much stronger than the fear could ever be. She had friends now, they supported her. They had a hard time as well, and came out alive and smiling. If they could to that, then she could, too! Her friends were helping, watching over her. And she didn't want to disappoint them.

"I'm not letting you touch me again!" She told him and raised her hand, fist tightly clenched. Akainu's small eyes widened considerably. No way. She wouldn't...

With one mighty roar that overpowered Akainu's angry shouting by far, she jumped forward and crashed her fist into his cheek. All her fears, pain, sadness, helplessness and frustration – everything that Akainu had done to her all this time – lay in that hit and she felt as if she'd pushed off a huge weight that had locked her very soul.

They both stumbled down, landing next to each other and didn't move for a few seconds. Luffy couldn't believe she just did that – she felt great! She felt free! She'd told him off!

"You can't stop me, you pathetic bastard!" She informed him, huffing greatly. Her heart was pumping madly in her chest, adrenaline sprouting through her body, but it felt so good at this moment.

Akainu stared at the ceiling, so calm it was eerie. The hit hadn't hurt much, but the realization that she was rebelling did, and he wanted to murder her for that. He had failed. Maybe this wouldn't have happened if he'd raised her more strictly. He was too soft on her, but things weren't too late. It was not over yet. As if she could run away from him after all these years!

He got up, slowly, dangerously, and Luffy knew this meant business. She scrambled away from him, looking for some sort of weapon but only got hand on a frying pan. Well, better than nothing.

Akainu approached her, a murderous glint in his eyes she'd never seen before. It scared her senseless. Luffy lifted the frying pan over her head; the terror clawing at her very insides.

'This is it, it's the end', she thought frantically, her courage from before forgotten. 'He's gonna kill me. He's gonna punch in my head, unless I-' Luffy looked up, letting go of her frying pan that fell to the floor with a loud clang.

_Unless- _

She inhaled deeply, opened her mouth and screamed it to the heavens-

"PLEASE SAVE ME!"

Akainu laughed at her like a maniac, "Haha! No one can hear you, stupid girl!" And he raised his hand to pound into the poor girl, but a sudden deafening noise stopped him.

"WE CAN HEAR HER!" The Strawhats shouted in unison, barging in like a cannon ball that crashed through the door as if it was paper.

"Guys!" Luffy nearly burst into tears, her knees growing weak. She slid down the wall, shaking.

Akainu shot around, a strangled noise emitting from his throat. The world where he was the almighty ruler, where his word was law, crumbled before him like a card house. He couldn't comprehend what was happening.

"Who are you snotty brats?!" Was the only thing he managed to say, before a rain of attacks came crashing down on him.

He didn't even have the time to defend himself let alone dodge, it all happened too fast. The Strawhat pirates were excellent fighters, and if one of their friend was in danger all the more so. They didn't show mercy for him, and Akainu flew to the floor like a rag doll.

He didn't make any moves to get up; empty eyes stared into nothingness as he had to face the truth: He wasn't almighty. His chest heaved heavily and blood pooled around his face but he felt numb.

The pirate crew huffed, turning away from the pathetic mess and smiled at Luffy.

"Well done, sis! You told him off, didn't ya?" Franky smirked at her.

"Nice punch." Zoro praised, smirking.

Sanji swooned. "You looked amazing!"

Luffy blinked, the situation only just sinking in. Had that really happened? It wasn't a dream?

"Luffy!" Usopp and Chopper cheered, hands clapping. Luffy snapped out of her daze and came back to reality.

"You did it, Luffy!" Nami smiled widely.

It was over. They beat Akainu! She was free of his terror...! She rubbed at her nose, before breaking into a huge grin that matched the sun.

"Shishishi! Yeah!" She said, nearly blinding them in happiness. The others gasped before approaching her and helping her up, ruffling her hair and patting her back. They laughed, because this was the first time they'd seen the girl smile and now they finally recognized their Luffy.

**YXYXYXYX**

_**I know you are not okay at the moment... but you will be. **_

**YXYXYXYX**

**So, next chapter is the last! I hope you've all enjoyed the story so far (I had so much fun writing it, especially with this chapter! Yay for the Strawhats! :D) **

**Thanks, **_**scatteredPhilosopher,**_** for suggesting Robin and Nami bringing up their pasts and how they refused to let anyone help them. I put it in like you asked me to, it's a great idea ;) **

**Reviews are always loved :D **

**-Neko11**


	4. Finding a new home

**Last chapter, guys! Thank you so much for your support and your amazing reviews! ;D**

**TheObsessedWrither: Thank you for leaving a review for each chapter! Thanks, I'm glad I could surprise you with it! I hope you'll like this one as well :) **

**somefangirl: Yay for the Strawhats! Thanks for the review :D **

**Queen Lily Tiger Ellyessa: I just had to include them, they're pure awesomeness *joining the dance*. Thank you for your kind review! =)**

**scatteredPhilosopher: You're welcome, it fitted in the story really well. I couldn't let him get away without a good beating from the crew, after all ;P I agree with you on that one! -holds up a Luffy-pennant- You just gotta love him :3 Thanks! I'm so happy you liked it! :] **

**Guest: Thanks man :)**

**Please enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own One piece. **

**YXYXYXYXYXYX**

**Chapter 4 – Finding a home**

When they called the police, they arrived minutes later and at the same time as Shanks and Sabo, which was a funny coincidence really. It came in handy for the crew because they didn't have to explain things twice now. Chopper, Brook and Franky reluctantly hid while everyone was discussing things in the house. They decided to save them the trouble of how explaining how the hell Brook was still alive, and what the hell Franky and Chopper were.

While Robin held off the police and tried to explain, the others were greeting Shanks and his son. They'd already roughly informed them about Luffy's situation, so there weren't that many questions about what the heck happened that turned the house into such a mess. Instead, they tried to push aside dark thoughts and introduced each other friendly.

Luffy wasn't sure how to meet Shanks and Sabo. Now that she knew she still had someone who was kind and would care for her she felt scared. What if they didn't like her? Or what if they think she's weird? Would they really take her in? Would they really accept her as a family member? Questions she didn't dare to ask.

She hid behind Zoro when Shanks and his son stepped in, all sunny and smiles. Luffy's first impression was, _Is this really my uncle? He looks so different from Akainu! He... he looks so much fun! _

She shook her head as if to get rid of those thoughts. The rest of the Strawhats then greeted the police men and she only nodded shortly at the officer. Her attention went back to her uncle and cousin.

Shanks was a lean man with three scars over his left eye, but what caught her attention the most were his bright red hair. She felt how her lips tugged upwards. It looked really cool.

Her cousin was tall and had messy blond hair, and also a scar over his left eye. She cocked her head to the side and touched her own scar softly, frowning. Was it a coincidence the three of them all had a scar over the left eye?

Sabo was smiling at her and approached her. She flinched and tried to duck behind Zoro who snorted at her antics.

"So you are my little cousin? It's nice to meet you, I'm Sabo!" The blond haired man greeted without any timidness. He grinned at her and Luffy wondered if he was really twenty. He looked much younger with those round eyes.

Zoro turned around and gently nudged her forward. "Don't be so shy, he won't bite."

Luffy looked at the ground uncomfortably. "I-I'm Luffy. Nice to meet you, too." She murmured, arms behind her back.

Shanks appeared out of nowhere and looked at her seriously, no trace of a smile on his face anymore. "So, you are Luffy? Look at me while I'm talking."

Luffy's head shot up immediately, still used to comply when she was ordered to do something. She watched Shanks' cold glance with rising nervousness, unsure what to expect. Some of the Strawhats were talking to the police, but those who weren't watched them with hawk eyes. Shanks couldn't be an asshole in these times, could he? He used to be Luffy's idol, his very reason to set out to the sea. No one realized they stopped breathing as they waited in anticipation.

Shanks continued in a dark voice, "So, you are going to live with us from now on?"

She was tempted to hide behind Zoro again. "Y-yes. Uhm, if it is no trouble for you."

"I see." Shanks narrowed his eyes. Even Sabo looked at her with a blank face. "Then there's only one more thing to say...,"

Luffy gulped."Yes...?"

Shanks' mouth made a 180° turn. "WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!" He jumped forward and took her into an embrace that squeezed the air out of her. Sabo burst out laughing and ruffled Luffy's black hair. Luffy's eyes were wide and she was stiff as a board, but soon relaxed in Shanks' gentle and warm grip. It felt so nice. And it didn't feel forced at all; Shanks' hug seemed truly genuine, and soon there were tears on her cheeks.

"Thank you." Her voice came out in a whisper, but Shanks heard her and only smiled wider, lifting her up like a four-year-old would lift and cuddle his teddy bear.

"No worries! I'm so glad we found you!" Shanks told her, and the crew breathed a deep sigh of relief.

Nami put a hand to her chest. "Thank God," she breathed, smiling.

Zoro didn't say anything and just smirked. With an easy-going guy like Shanks and someone kind as Sabo, there was nothing to worry about.

They couldn't have found anyone better than these two. Luffy wouldn't have to fear anything that life threw at her anymore. Shanks and Sabo would tend to her wounds and heal them until the scars slowly faded.

Luffy was hiccuping, unable to say anything else. She was completely overwhelmed by her own happiness. Shanks buried his face into her shoulder, eyes squeezed shut tightly as well.

"I sorry." He muttered only for Luffy to hear. "I'm so so so sorry. If only we'd saved you earlier. If only we'd heard your cries."

A sob escaped Luffy as she heard this. She couldn't deal with so much kindness! It made her all warm and fuzzy, and she could do nothing as her arms lifted on their own and hugged back with such an intensity Shanks' eyes snapped open in surprise. She suddenly clung to him for dear life, and there was such a desperate need in her that made Shanks nearly cry as well.

'Just how much despair had this child lived through? How much hate and violence did she have to endure?' Shanks' hands trembled as he swore to himself he'd make up for these lost six years of misery. He'd teach her what it means to be part of a family, and he'd love her with everything he had. He'd treat her as his own child, with so much love and care that she'd grow tired of it, and even then he would never stop showing affection. Shanks would make sure Luffy had always, always a smile on her face.

With a determined look on his face, he put Luffy down and gazed her straight into the reddened eyes. Luffy looked like a broken child, with all those tears that ran down her cheeks. Shanks reached for the item that hung loosely from his neck. Luffy watched him in wonder, not understanding his actions until Shanks thrust his hat down onto her head in one swift motion.

"Here!"

Luffy didn't see anymore because Shanks pulled the hat half over her face. "What-,"

"It's okay. You can cry as much as you want. No one can see it." Shanks simply said, and Luffy broke down into a river of tears. She cried and laughed at the same time, and hugged her uncle again.

Shanks seemed to understand her in a way no one has ever before. He was kind and had a huge heart, that much she could tell already. Luffy had learned how to read people quite well those past years, and she knew she could trust both of them.

"It feels like it belongs there." Luffy said with a weary smile, slightly touching the hat as if she was afraid it'd turn to dust if she treated it roughly.

Shanks nodded. "I'm actually stunned how much it fits you." He had a thoughtful expression on his face as he added, "It's my fav, but I guess I'm getting too old to wear such stuff. You can keep it." It was a simple excuse, and Sabo hid his smile behind a hand, pretending to yawn.

"Really?" Luffy asked, liking the feeling of the strawhat on her head. It felt so light, but at the same time, it filled her with courage to take on the whole world. It was weird, but Luffy loved the hat already. "Thank you! I'm gonna treasure it!"

The Strawhats could only snicker at that. Now it was really 'Strawhat Luffy'. Apparently, Luffy wasn't Luffy if it weren't for the hat. If they only knew they'd named the crew after this hat... the hat that was the whole reason for Luffy's journey. It was amazing how it found its way back onto Luffy's head.

"You can call me Shanks!" Her uncle suddenly told her as he grabbed her shoulders. Luffy rubbed her face with her sleeve, getting rid of the tear-stains. Shanks looked at her, grinning so brightly Luffy nearly had to shield her eyes. "Or you can call me captain! Or, much better, call me papa if you want! No one ever calls me papa, and it makes me so sad!"

Sabo rolled his eyes. "Dad, please."

Shanks gasped and pointed an accusing finger at his son, nearly poking his eye out. "See?! That's what I mean!"

Luffy blinked as Sabo swatted his father's hand away playfully. Zoro, Nami and Usopp laughed at the scene.

"You'll love it when you see our home! It's just dad and me living there, but we'll be having a hella fun now that we have an addition to our family!" Sabo winked at Luffy. The girl smiled, already liking her big cousin. He seemed like a really nice guy.

"You can bet on that!" Shanks yelled good-naturally. Luffy giggled lightly, having the feeling her life had only just begun.

"Yeah!" She replied, grinning, and Shanks suddenly cried something about how pretty his sister's daughter was. Sabo laughed as he tried to calm his weeping father down, and Luffy joined in.

The Strawhats stood aside, not daring to disturb them. They were acting as if they'd known each other all their lives, getting along with practiced ease. The crew was glad they hit it off like that and they knew: Luffy was in good hands. She was gonna be okay.

The police officers were more than surprised when Robin finished her story. They hardly believed her since Akainu always had been a polite man, well-known and kind, and they didn't quite buy the story of him abusing Luffy. It didn't sound believable to them, and they were suspicious of the Strawhats. They had a weird appearance, and Akainu wasn't responding anymore so they only saw one piece (no pun intended) of the picture:

A beaten up man, a shredded front door and a shaken and pale girl, mixed with a weird group. What the Strawhats told the police sounded more like a sorry excuse for attacking a house.

"You don't happen to do drugs, do you?" the officer asked with narrowed eyes. Nami immediately denied it, but it didn't ease the police's suspicions. Robin somewhat knew this was going to happen – modern times were easy to figure out- and took out a small device.

"If you may want to take a look at that, mr. officer. It's a record device, and it should explain the whole situation."

The officer's eyebrows rose simultaneously, and he took it from Robin's hands. "Really? Well, that should be helpful. Men, while I listen to this, restrain Mr. Akainu, please. We shouldn't take any risks and he looks like he'll come to soon."

"Yes, Smoker sir!"

When Smoker listened intendly to the record, his mouth fell open in sheer terror. The scene that unfolded was horrible. Smoker heard Akainu bellowing at the girl who'd bravely stated she would leave today. He couldn't believe his own ears. Slaps followed, that much Smoker could tell by the sound of hand meeting skin, and it filled him with a blind anger he hadn't felt in a long time. He looked at the mess that was Akainu and could understand why these people beat him into a bloody pulp. He was a monster, and Smoker felt ashamed for not realizing what kind of man he was sooner. He should have noticed something was off, but then, Akainu had hid his true face perfectly. Only Luffy had known of the harsh reality.

"The plan worked!" Nami whispered to the older woman as she saw the look on Smoker's face. "It was a great idea, Robin!"

Nami instantly hugged Robin, saying something along the lines of 'What would we do without you, oneesan!' and the older woman only giggled while patting her head.

Sanji did an impressively passionate version of his noodle dance, and only stopped when he heard how Shanks and Sabo burst into hysterical laughters.

He wanted to turn around and tell them off, but as he noticed how Luffy was secure between Shanks ' and Sabo's arms, he calmed down. Sanji smiled softly and ran a hand through his hair while sighing.

He had no doubt this was Luffy's true place. There was nowhere else she belonged to but there, between her _family_, and from now on there wouldn't be any more tears than those of joy.

An hour later, after they finished interrogating Luffy and the others, the police hand-cuffed Akainu finally. They had enough proof in their hands against him now, and once they heard Luffy's side of the story along with all the angry yellow and purple bruises on her body, they were convinced of Akainu's guilt. To say Smoker was pissed wouldn't describe his mood anywhere near. There was an atmosphere built from icy rage that made his men shudder and they knew if Smoker wasn't a police officer, he'd have smashed the man's face in.

He told the Strawhat crew they had to come to the police station later since they did break into a house without permission and beat up a man, even though he was a violent asshole, but law was law - which meant the same as _get the hell outta here and don't show your faces around here anymore_, and they understood and were grateful for it.

The police dragged a half-conscious Akainu through the corridor, and as they passed Luffy, she turned her head and looked him dead in the eye. For a moment, their glances met, and although no one uttered a single syllable, words were exchanged between them.

Luffy only knew one thing.

_I won_, and that's what she told him in all silence without triumph nor happiness on her face, but unmistakely, unshakable truth Akainu couldn't deny. He got the message and turned his face into a disgusted scowl. It didn't look the least bit threatening since his face was a bloody mess with that broken nose and the busted lip, but Luffy didn't feel any satisfaction from it. She only felt endless relief, now that she knew she would never see this man again.

Sabo and his father on the other hand didn't hide their wrath and hatred for the guy, and sent him the most chilling glares he'd ever seen.

"See you in hell for a beating." Shanks muttered and only Akainu and Sabo heard it, the latter snickering.

The man cringed, because even though Shanks hadn't spoken loudly, there had been a lot of force behind it that made him believe Shanks meant every word he said. It sounded like a painful promise.

Sabo didn't say anything but regarded him with a look that was a mix between pity and revulsion. Akainu hated it, because he was absolutely exposed to it.

The Strawhat crew only watched him with cold indifference, because they didn't really care whether he worked his ass off somewhere to survive somehow, or he rotted away in prison. It didn't matter, as long as he never got anywhere near Luffy again; or any other teen for that matter.

Akainu had never seen such faces. Each of them regarded him with a different expression, but he knew he'd never forget one of it because it was just so chilling. Their eyes clearly told him how much they hated him; how little they thought of him. These guys didn't have a single spark of respect for him.

Zoro thought of Luffy, getting kicked and punched as if she was a boxing bag, and how he must have thrown things at her in blind madness, and he thought of how ashamed Luffy had felt because of her resuming wounds.

Sanji thought about Luffy and her school life, how she didn't have any friends for support when she needed them most, and hoped they had managed to take some of her pain away.

Robin thought of the moments of utter loneliness, and how many times Luffy had cried in the darkness.

Nami thought of the helplessness Luffy must have felt, how she must have cursed her own weakness.

Brook watched the police men leave through the window of the small shed with the other two. The only thought he had was, Akainu was lucky he hadn't met them in the past, because then there wouldn't have been a crying Luffy to watch while he got beaten up.

Chopper cried, because it was over. This bastard wasn't gonna torment Luffy anymore. The reindeer tried to order his thoughts, but he was so full of bliss and relief that the only thought that came to his mind was, _thank god._

Franky was thinking about how everyone had their personal hell in life, but nothing was endless, and now Luffy didn't have to cry anymore. He thought about all the bad things Luffy went through, and knew life would only get better for her.

Usopp thought of their Luffy and this Luffy, and he thought, maybe they weren't so different at all. He thought of the courage she'd built up and how she stood up to her tormentor, and was proud he got to know her.

**XYXYXYXYXYX**

The Strawhat pirates suddenly realized that one week was already over. The witch had announced they had only seven days to 'fix the mess', and now that it was done and Akainu wouldn't get to see any sunlight for a long, long time again and Luffy was save by Shanks' side, they had succeeded in their 'mission'.

But the hardest part was yet ahead. The time to say goodbye. Shanks, Sabo and Luffy stood side to side, watching the pirate group as they said their farewells and turned around to leave forever. They had hugged and patted backs, shook hands and ruffled heads, and then they were ready to go.

The moment they turned around, Luffy couldn't take it any more. She'd bitten her lip long enough, and suddenly everything burst out.

"Guys! I don't know how I can ever thank you! I mean, without you, I... I couldn't be free! I could never have done it alone!" Luffy declared, tears gathering in her eyes but she refused to let them fall. She'd shed enough tears already.

The pirates looked at her in surprise, but it soon turned into affectionate smiles.

Nami winked. "Make sure to live life to its fullest, alright?"

"I, the great Usopp, will save you over and over again!" Usopp stated while grinning proudly.

"You can always count on me, my cute damsel in distress!" Sanji said with a hearty eye that made Luffy laugh despite everything.

"Can't you stay a little longer? You can at least have dinner with us!" Shanks suggested in hope. He liked these guys. Luffy looked at them with pleading eyes, but they had to decline.

"We're pirates, we belong to the sea!" Zoro replied, smirking.

Nami agreed. "As much as we'd like to stay, we can't. We have to go back before it's too late."

Luffy seemed sad about this, but didn't pressure it any longer. It wasn't their time, and who knew if they could ever go back if they missed their chance... not that she disliked the idea of them staying forever, of course.

"Now, now, Luffy-sis, no worries. You'll find a lot of friends, won't you?" Franky said, grinning.

"Yeah, you have a bright future ahead!" Chopper chirped. Luffy frowned, and it turned into a pout.

"You can do whatever you want from now on. So be brave." Zoro said.

"Yeah...," Luffy muttered. Then she tightened her fists.

"I have decided! I'm gonna be a singer!" she suddenly burst out, startling the Strawhats. "I'll gather an amazing band and we're gonna travel around the whole world to give concerts! Watch me!"

"That's the spirit!" Sanji praised, positively taken aback.

"That's awesome, Luffy!" Chopper cheered and Usopp applauded.

"Go for it, girl." Franky said. Brook laughed,

"Music is a great dream, Luffy-san! It's a lot of fun!"

"Everyone will know my name!" Luffy continued with such a confidence they only knew from 'their' Luffy. They were glad that despite everything, Luffy was a strong person that couldn't be bound by Akainu's ropes.

"Luffy-chan, can I tell you a secret? I know how you will become famous." Robin said, smiling mysteriously.

"Really? How?" Luffy demanded.

Robin giggled. "Never give up your smile."

"I won't!" It was a promise.

As they walked out of the door, they walked out of Luffy's life, but never out of her heart.

_'Thank you for saving my life.'_

**YXYXYXYXYX**

When they came to, they realized in surprise that they all were in the kitchen of Thousand Sunny. After a few confused seconds where they gathered their thoughts and made sure they were all alright, they had one thing on their mind: Luffy.

He wasn't in the kitchen with them, so they all feared the weird old granny had done something while they were gone. Their captain was strong alright, but if the witch could send eight people into the future for a whole week and take them back after exactly seven days, then they didn't know what other kinds of tricks she had up her sleeve.

They searched the whole ship and called his name in a slight panic that made them act like mother hens, but they _didn't care_.

They found him in his hammock, sleeping peacefully as if he didn't give a fuck in the world. His friends wanted to smack him and hug him at the same time.

Instead, they just woke him.

"Na? Why are you all up? It's the middle of the night. Someone attacking?" He slurred, still half-asleep.

Nami shook her head, smirking. "Nope, everything's okay. But you have to get up now."

"Eh? Why?" He blinked sleepily, his hair sticking up in all directions. Robin giggled at the cute sight, and as Sanji ruffled his hair it got even messier. The Strawhats had to snicker, because Luffy looked like a little boy.

"Do you wanna miss the party?" Sanji asked, acting all surprised, and immediately Luffy was wide awake and alerted.

"Party? Now? With meat?" He asked hopefully.

Zoro smirked. "_Tons_ of meat."

A loud cheer echoed through the Thousand Sunny, and not too soon after that, the whole ship was lightened up, music and laughter were in the air as well as the smell of delicious dishes. They danced and sung and partied the whole night, and even though Luffy had no idea what came over his friends, he didn't give a damn and just enjoyed it.

Weirdly enough, Luffy couldn't remember their encounter with the witch, and when they went to pay the woman a little visit the next day, hangoverish and tired but they were still confused_ as hell _and_ what the fuck had actually happened?_ and just wanted to know more about that strange old to their disappointment theycouldn't find her, even though they turned the whole town upside down, so most questions went unanswered. Usopp suggested it had all been a bad dream, but the idea was thrown aside quickly. It was hard to describe, but they all felt it had really happened, or rather, would really happen in the future.

They all decided not to tell Luffy about anything that had occurred the past week.

Maybe it was best not to let him know how his future self's gonna be abused by his brother's murderer. They managed to kick the bastards' ass and save Luffy, but heck, it would just make their captain furious because he wasn't there to deliver a good punch as well. And since it all ended well and Luffy didn't pry any further, it didn't matter anyway.

They shoved it into the file 'one-of-the-New-World's-crazy-adventures-no-one-will-believe'. The crew was simply content with the knowledge they hadn't failed female Luffy and managed to give her the sort of life she deserved.

**YXYXYXYXYX**

_-Little bonus-scene-_

It was Luffy's first day at her new school, and she didn't know if she'd ever felt this nervous in her entire life.

This was her new chance, now she could restart from anew! No one knew her here, and she could invent friends or go to partys at night, and she didn't have to worry about anyone noticing her scars and bruises, because _Akainu_ was only a shadow of the past. He was out of her life, and although he would never vanish from her thoughts completely, Luffy could laugh and finally enjoy everything she couldn't up until now.

Her nightmare was over, and a new day had begun.

As she introduced herself to her new class, the trembling died down as she looked in those friendly but curious faces. The teacher, a man called Jimbei, showed Luffy her new seat. Luffy nodded and made her way through her class, and when her eyes fell on the people around her, she was _beaming_.

She was greeted by familiar faces, and Luffy couldn't believe her luck.

She giggled to herself as she sat down, because she already knew their names. But she decided to act naturally, and turned to the guy to her right.

"Hi!" She greeted enthusiastically. The boy ignored her stubbornly.

Luffy leaned towards him and he glared at her, but the girl only grinned back with an unbelievable, face-splitting smile. She could never be afraid of these eyes, because those were the eyes of one of her saviors.

"Ne, what's your name? Ne, ne, tell me!" She insisted, poking him repeatedly into the side until he shot around, growling menacingly. She blinked at him, but there was only curiosity shining in those dark eyes.

The guy watched her intently, wondering why she wasn't cowering in fear like he was used to from girls that saw him the first time. He rose one eye-brow and decided there was something about this lively girl he definitely liked. His glare melted into a smirk, and he held out a hand.

"Zoro. Roronoa Zoro."

She laughed as if he'd told her a great joke. "I'm Luffy!"

A guy with blond hair to her left began praising her beauty. Luffy grinned, and for a moment she feared everyone would to hear her heart that was drumming excitedly against her rip case.

A boy with a long nose behind her and a girl with short orange hair before her. They all greeted her in a friendly way and told her their names, and Luffy thought this was fate indeed. Nothing, not even time could separate them; they'd always find their way back to each other.

She had her own Strawhat crew here.

**YXYXYXYXYXYX**

**I hope you liked the ending :) And I hope it didn't seem too rushed but remember this was originally planned as a One shot (until it got too long xD). **

**Again, thank you for reading! Have a nice day, people of the sun :D **

**-Neko11**


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